


The Uncanny Valley

by Kohane



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Gen, My First AO3 Post, Mystery, Original Character(s), The TARDIS Ships It (Doctor Who), Twelfth Doctor Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 14,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25114876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kohane/pseuds/Kohane
Summary: A child disappears without trace from his birthday trip, only to reappear time later.  According to some people, The Doctor saw it happening but he has no recollection of the events.What happened and why?
Comments: 18
Kudos: 9





	1. Hot & Sticky

**Author's Note:**

> This is a story placed in the middle of Peter Capaldi's tenure as Doctor Who. The story introduces a new character and explores the immediate aftermath of his loss of both, Clara and his memories of her.  
> In the beginning, tt's supposed to be London in summer, but it could be any city in a hot day really. It also features some unnamed non-solar planets and systems.
> 
> Depending on feedback and reception, I'll write more.

It's hot and heavy, summer clear sky sandwiched between rains. People lazily walk around dragging their feet, drinking cool drinks and vaguely browsing stuff they may buy or not. 

A woman with striking resemblance to Betty Boop waits at the semaphore for lights to change. She has long dark hair but tied in a pony tail for coolness. She has a fresh dress with pockets and lightweight comfy sandals, but even then she's sweating heavily. She hates summer for a number of reasons, and at the moment she hates it even more with all the sun falling on that side of the street and the lights that seem to never change.

Eventually the green light flashes and she almost runs to cross the street. She joins the stream of people on the other side. 

Her name is Eloise, she loves music, arts and building little robots. 

Eloise enters an electronics store, looking for a pair of headphones. Much to her surprise, she sees The Doctor but she doesn't pay much attention, she's never sure if he really likes her or just tolerates her presence when he has no options left. It was easier with his previous incarnation. They spent more time together, goofing around in time and space. But his new... _version_ seemed to be perennially grumpy and stern. It made her feel uncomfortable so she simply asked to be dropped off at her place to resume her normal life where she left off. 

The Doctor has an ice cream pot in his hands; some brand ice cream bought in a supermarket or a convenience store. He eyes her while he carefully force the lid open but says nothing. She blinks a couple of times, considering waving a hand or greeting him in any way... acknowledge his existence at least, but those few seconds it takes her to think he turns and walks away. She turns and keeps searching the audio section of the store. 

Disappointed by the lack of offers in store, Eloise walks out to the hot day. She stands there for a moment, trying to decide if keep searching for headphones or going home. She passes a hand over her wavy hair, tufts are escaping the pony tail. She's starting to sweat again and the curls falling everywhere only make it worse. She tries to make a note to herself about bringing a pin in summer days, but she knows she'll forget in a minute. 

"Maybe I should just cut my hair" she thinks, but like the previous mental note, she'll likely ignore.

Suddenly, she hears a voice and a strong noise, like something breaking. A child cries and people gather around a spot in the street. Languidly, Eloise turns her head towards the commotion but doesn't bother to move. There are too many people around and anyway is none of her business. 

Some persons take the child who is sobbing now, and carry him to a bench under a shade in front of a smoothie bar. Now Eloise can see the child clearly and she thinks she recognises him. She goes there, to take a closer look. People around her are asking each other where are his parents as he seems to be lost and alone. The child is busy sobbing and feeling pity for himself, and doesn't answer to the adults' questions. 

Eloise turns around and walks back to the electronics store. She knows this child, she saw him before. Weeks ago, he went out in a birthday trip with some classmates and their teachers and the boy disappeared without reason or trace. No sound, no clues, nothing. He vanished like water in a desert. But luckily, the Doctor was present that day. He'll know what to do, he has the technology to check and find out things she wouldn't be able to on her own. 

Eloise finds the Doctor enjoying his ice cream while staring to a massive plasma TV screen. 

\- Doctor! - she calls and he turns around to look at her. He's sucking his spoon, ice cream on the other hand, his blue eyes staring at her. - You're eating an ice cream... - she says momentarily distracted from her main concern. 

Slowly, he takes the spoon out of his mouth and licks his lips. He frowns a bit and tilts his head, still staring at her like an owl. 

\- Yes... - 

A drop of melted cream crawls down his spoon towards his fingers. 

\- Is that strange? It's very hot today - he says and slowly blinks. There is something perturbing him but he doesn't say a word. 

\- But how are you allowed to eat icecream in an electronics store? - 

\- Oh! I told them I'm an inspector - 

\- Inspecting what? - 

\- Who knows? - he says and licks the spoon. 

\- And why are you in an electronic store? - 

\- Oh, you guys have some weird stuff here - 

She doesn't know what to say, or even if there is an answer to his words. Is he expecting an answer? Or maybe he's after something else but doesn't want to say. Maybe she's just bothering him. Maybe...

There's a moment of silence between them. He sticks the spoon in the ice cream, presumably to gather more to eat, she blinks at him a couple of times. Street rumours come from outside mixed with a distant wailing. 

\- People believe anything you say, don't they? - 

\- Well, why not? - he says and gathers more ice cream without taking his eyes off her. 

"Why am I this way?" she wonders feeling uneasy "Why so cold and bitter? We used to be pals..." 

_Used to._

\- So! What's the matter? - asks The Doctor finally looking down at his cup; he takes a good heap of cream and sticks it inside his mouth with great delight.

\- The boy. who disappeared the other week, from his birthday party... - she says slowly realising that her words don't ring any bells in his mind - He's here. He appeared... - her sentence dying off as she vaguely points outside.

\- Well... that's... good, isn't it? - he says and sticks the spoon back in the ice cream. 

\- Don't you remember? - 

\- Remember what? - he says feeling a drop of cream reaching one of his fingers as it gets more dense and sticky. 

\- It didn't happen... yet... for you... - she says without understanding if this is true this time, but sensing it could be. It wouldn't be the first time this sort of messed up timelines would happen to them, and surely not the last time for The Doctor. 

\- Maybe - he says shrugging - I don't know - He looks down to the cup of ice cream. There's still half of it but it's quickly melting away. If he doesn't hurry up it will soon turn into soup. 

\- Doctor... - 

\- Yes! - he says looking up. 

\- Please, listen to me - 

\- I'm listening - he says, although his mind is closer to his ice cream than to her words. 

She quickly explains what happened in that birthday trip, how they came to know about it and who's the boy who seemingly popped up out of the blue half an hour ago. As she explains, she realises she's sweating a lot, the heat is even worse than before and the wailing is over. While she speaks, he eats his ice cream carefully balancing the time needed to enjoy it and the rush of not letting it melt completely. 

\- And he's here? - he asks with sparks of interest in his eyes, pointing at the street with one finger while holding the spoon with the others. 

\- Yes. In the smoothie bar - she says and turns around. 

She starts walking out of the store followed by The Doctor mumbling a question, still holding his pot of ice cream. 

But when they reach the smoothie bar there's nothing there. People go around the tables as usual, no traces of a boy or signs of people gathered. She remembers he was hurt and sobbing, there should be at least some marks or maybe used up kleenex, or some persons around murmuring... 

\- What is a smoothie bar? - he asks now she's at earshot. 

\- That - 

\- That?`I thought that was an ice cream... sort of thing - 

\- Yes. Well, kinda... - 

The Doctor turns to look at her slightly frowning. She approaches a person who's sitting under the shade. 

\- Sorry, where is the child who was here... crying...? - She lets the sentence drop. It's obvious no one knows what she's talking about, they stare at her with blank expressions. She could be asking how people in the Amazon cook their meals and the result would have been equally empty. 

The Doctor looks at his ice cream that is almost gone, thinking if he should drink the leftover straight from the pot or try to chase it with the spoon. 

\- Doctor... - 

\- Yes... - 

\- The boy is not here - 

\- What boy? - 

They stare at each other for a moment. Then he vaguely points with the spoon somewhere behind him. 

\- We're... better back to the TARDIS... - 

\- Yes... - 

He turns and starts walking with Eloise walking behind, looking down at the street under the heavy sticky sun. 

"Back to the TARDIS.. why _back_ to the TARDIS? I wasn't there to start with." she looks up to be sure she's still walking behind The Doctor. "Was I?"


	2. Any questions?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Eloise bounce ideas inside the TARDIS.

The Doctor looks at his hands; his fingers are sticky and stained with chocolate. Eloise offers him a small wet wipe. He looks at it for a moment in surprise, and then takes it. 

\- Well, now I'm more perfumed but still sticky - 

Eloise offers him a kleenex. He takes it and thoroughly cleans his fingers with it. 

\- Water is better - he mutters and lives the used up items aside on the console. Eloise picks them and starts walking around looking for a bin. - There's a bin down there - he says waving a bony finger in the general direction of a stair going down. 

She quietly goes there under the Doctor's watchful gaze. When she comes back he turns to the console and presses some buttons. 

\- Do you feel alright? - he asks without looking directly at her. 

\- Kind of. I need a shower - 

\- You know where the shower is - he says vaguely pointing to the interior of the TARDIS. 

\- But what can I do? I don't have any other clothes with me - 

\- You know where to find clothes, it's not like this is the first time you're in here - 

\- Uhm... okay - 

The Doctor briefly looks at her over the controls and turns again to the console. 

\- Okay. I'm going to take a shower then - 

The Doctor utters something she doesn't get to understand and then ads: 

\- I'll be here - 

Eloise turns and goes upstairs, to the interior of the TARDIS, wondering if he's trying to say something else or she really look so bad that it made him offer a bath. As far as she can tell, he's still looking all frowny and upsetty, as if he was annoyed by her presence.

By the time she comes back, the TARDIS is slightly different. She can't tell exactly what's change but there's something different, it's floating in the air. 

Now she's wearing a somewhat outdated short dress with flower patterns, her long hair still drying and loose, barefoot as she often is at home. The detail doesn't go unnoticed to the Doctor who's coming seemingly from the door. She lazily blinks once, twice and smiles; there's a drowsy air in her eyes. 

\- How are you feeling? - 

\- Fresher - 

\- Good... - he says and turns to go upstairs. Next to the book shelves there is a double sized blackboard with some notes already written on it - Let's talk about this child of yours - 

\- It's not mine, I didn't buy it - 

\- Well, you remembered him and I didn't, so it's more yours than mine - 

She doesn't say anything but attentively reads what is written in the blackboard. On one side it says: 

"Context:

= Birthday trip

On the other side it says: 

"Prepositions: 

= 

Both have some marks and a double waving line in between to clearly separate them with empty space below. 

\- Did you buy a new blackboard? - 

\- No - 

\- I would swear it was smaller... - 

\- I have a smaller one, yes - seeing her confusion he adds - But I didn't buy it - 

\- Ah - 

Again, her eyes close and open slowly making the Doctor wonder if she's tired, sad or the shower just relaxed her too much. 

"Some people feel like sleeping after a hot shower, but I can't remember if she did..:" 

\- Are you alright? - he asks. 

\- Yes, I'm fine - 

He stares at her for a moment and then turns to the blackboard. 

\- So... here we have this child in his birthday trip... - he says tapping the board's surface - All happy with his friends and teacher, browsing his favourite books and this... how do you call it? - 

\- What? - 

\- These things they sell with shapes, next to books... - 

\- I don't know... bookmarks? - 

\- No, no! - Eloise stares at him trying to guess - These things... like mugs with a character's face or a pencil shaped like a space ship... that sort of thing... How do you call it? - 

\- Merchandising? - she asks hesitantly. 

\- Yes! - 

Eloise utters something. 

\- So this child is browsing his favourite books and merchandise... and then when the teacher calls, he's nowhere to be seen. He seems to have vanished in thin air - 

He turns to the blackboard and writes something. Then turns to Eloise and points at her with the chalk. 

\- Question: Can someone really vanish into thin air? - 

\- Travelling with you taught me that it's very possible if the conditions are there - 

The Doctor pulls a face of disbelief. 

\- Where is the scientist in you? - 

\- I don't know. Why? - 

\- If we just brush it away because he disappear and that's possible there's nothing to discuss - 

\- Oh, okay. Fair point - 

\- Are you alright? - 

Eloise hesitates to answer: The Doctor seemingly loses patience and turns around. 

\- Well, let's put it here, for the sake of method - he says writing «Gone poof» on the blackboard under the «Prepositions» section.

He then turns to her and again points at her, now with a finger instead the chalk. 

\- Question: Could he simply sneak out? - 

\- From his birthday trip? - 

\- Yes! - 

\- Not likely - 

\- Why not? He's a child - 

\- It's having the time of his life, why would he sneak out? - 

\- Well, I don't know... maybe to play a joke? To see if others come to seek him? Didn't you ever hide away somewhere to see if people were worried about you? - 

\- No... - 

\- Never? - 

She nods a negative. 

\- Don't you ever wondered what would happen if you weren't there? - 

\- I did - she says - Probably too much - 

She makes a pause, looking to a distant point beyond the TARDIS console. The Doctor sees he struck a sensitive point. 

\- But you never left? - he says, his voice softer than before.

\- No - 

\- Well... maybe he's different! - 

\- Maybe - 

\- Are you alright? - 

Eloise shakes her head, irritated. 

\- Why do you keep asking the same question? - 

\- Because you keep dodging it - he says, his voice two tones deeper - So I keep asking in the hope you will tell me the truth at some point - 

\- Well... - she says frowning and leaning on the console, her eyes looking away somewhere on the floor. She feels strangely nervous and vexed, but doesn't want to show it because she can't tell _why_ she feels this way.

\- Back to the child! - he says swiftly turning around to the blackboard. He scribbles something and then starts speaking with an enthusiasm he doesn't feel - Maybe he wanted to play a joke, stand outside the store and say Boo! to his teacher when they'd come out, maybe he thought he could hide somewhere to see what happens, maybe... - 

\- Maybe he just disappeared - 

\- Oh, come on, help me out! - he says turning to her and flashing a humourless smile.

\- If he sneaked out it wasn't meant for long - 

\- Ah! A joke that went wrong. I like the idea! - he turns to the blackboard again and scribbles something else - This is a thesis we can work on. What else? - 

\- Maybe he didn't sneak out but got distracted by something - 

\- Oh, that could be! - he says turning to look at her, leaning on the railing - Maybe he saw something he liked like a car or a dog... - 

\- No, he's too old for that - 

\- What do you mean? - 

\- He was 10, he had it written on his hat, but he looked older. He was taller than the usual 10 year old boy, more like 11 or 12. By the looks. - 

\- Yes, and? - he says trying to encourage her. 

\- If he saw something, it wouldn't be a cat or a dog... or anything like that. He's old enough to know when to stay put. - 

That she's still looking away with a distracted expression doesn't go unnoticed to The Doctor. He's seen this before and it means one thing: she's creating the scene in her mind. Sometimes is a memory, sometimes is a map, sometimes is something that doesn't exist yet but the result is always the same. She creates a detailed 3D image in her mind that surrounds her and momentarily wipes the actual environment. She stops seeing her surroundings and even persons or animals, she only sees what is in her mind. 

\- But he could get excited by something! - 

\- Yes, but not something, someone. - 

\- Well, that's another question: Do you think he could have been kidnapped? - 

\- No... not there. He was tall and would have made a lot of noise - she blinks and slightly tilts her head - But maybe he saw someone he knew and that made him go out... - 

\- Or maybe someone he admires, like a hero or an actor... maybe he _thought_ he saw someone he wanted to meet - 

\- Maybe he got lost... or it wasn't the person he thought - 

\- Maybe _then_ he got kidnapped - he says with a tinge of hope in his voice. 

\- Maybe. But not by force - 

\- Great! - 

The Doctor turns to the blackboard and adds another point to the list. Eloise looks up. Now the mental image is gone she feels eerily surprised that there is something else, that something else existed behind what she was seeing. 

\- Well... - he says stepping back and admiring his neat exposition on board - Any questions? - 

\- Yes - 

\- Tell me! - he says turning to her, honestly interested. 

\- _What_ is this child? - 


	3. To Elise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor plays guitar and clears some things with Eloise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sentences in quotes are The Doctor's thoughts, his inner dialogue.

The Doctor is standing by the TARDIS console. Eloise is standing a bit farther, feeling awkward. He can see there's something in her mind, as if she couldn't decide if staying or leaving. As far as he's concerned, she can stay forever. But for some reason, she didn't want to and he would be the last person not to respect her decisions. 

\- I play the guitar now - he says looking down at the console, randomly tapping on switches. 

\- Oh, nice! - she says, a smile shows up on her face. 

\- Yes... Well, I had time to spare... travelling alone... - 

"You weren't alone" 

"I was"

\- Learning music is the best way to use your time, it's the universal language - she says, vaguely quoting Ludwig van Beethoven. This thought doesn't go unnoticed to The Doctor, who encouraged, offers to play something for her. Adding hurriedly, almost stammering, «if you want»

\- Yes, of course - 

The Doctor goes upstairs to pick his guitar that is leaning somewhere against the books. She watches him do. The Doctor comes back with the guitar in his hand. Walks down the stair and sits down on a step half way the ladder. Eloise sits down at the end of the stair, looking up to him. 

The Doctor tries the strings, tune them and then play a bit. Now he's sure, he starts playing Moonlight sonata by Beethoven. As the piece ends he blends it with Für Elise. Eloise has a soft smile and a warm look on her face as she listen attentively to the music. When the piece ends The Doctor lets notes treble and fade away. 

A velvety silence falls in the TARDIS. She likes it this way, it's peaceful and comfortable. He doesn't want to break the spell. Beethoven is too special, too sacred to just switch to a mundane conversation right after it. 

But eventually, the Doctor speaks.

\- I remember you said once... - he says, his voice reverbs in the silence - ... that you like Beethoven's sonatas and piano concertos in special because a good friend of yours... your best friend... I think. - she nods - He... played them over and over during a summer you were very ill, to make you feel better and sooth you to sleep... - 

\- Yes... - 

\- I'm not soothing you to sleep, of course - 

\- No... but it's very peaceful... - 

\- And you're not ill - 

Eloise stares at The Doctor, waiting for him to show his real intentions. She knows him, he's going somewhere, this is not random conversation. 

The Doctor notes she doesn't answer. After a moment, he speaks again. 

\- I'm sorry I don't have a piano - 

\- I love this guitar version - she says and honestly feels so. 

The Doctor can see it, and it makes him smile for a fleeting moment. 

\- Thanks... - 

They remain in pensive silence for a while. The Doctor stands up, taking the guitar back to the place it was. When he comes back, he looks at her and speaks. 

\- Are you alright? - 

\- Uh? - she grins, mildly annoyed - You keep asking that question - 

\- And you keep not answering - 

Eloise stands up uttering something, pulls from her clothes to rearrange them and, rather speaking to herself, says: 

\- As if mattered... - 

\- Well, it matters to me - 

\- Does it? - she says turning to face him - Does it really matters? You'll leave, and may or may not come back, and you may or may not remember - 

\- I always remember - 

"No" 

She shrugs and walks away, she's thinking of leaving the TARDIS. She reaches the console and slowly walks around the console, studying the controls. 

\- Did I ever show you that you don't matter to me? - 

She doesn't answer but keeps walking around the console. 

\- Did I? - he asks, raising his voice. 

\- Uh? - she says looking up. She was absorbed by the console, looking for the familiar telepathic interface. 

\- Did I ever show that you don't matter to me? - he repeats, slightly louder and clearer. 

She makes a grimace, showing impatience. This is not a question she wanted to answer because she knows she might get too blunt and she doesn't want to argue. If he doesn't want to travel with her anymore, for whatever reason, she respects that; but she doesn't want him to pretend he cares when he's often so grumpy and impatient when she's around. 

Finally, she stops, breathes out and speaks. The Doctor stands next to the console, across and in front of her. 

\- I don't... I didn't want to say this, because I know it would sound horrible and I don't want to argue - 

\- Go ahead - 

\- In your previous... uh... iteration... - 

"Thanks for the mathematical expression" he thinks. 

\- You were a lot of fun and you were always happy to be around... but now... you're always grumpy... and disgruntled... and... - 

The Doctor closes his fist around a handle. He was seeing this criticism coming, he heard it before. And yet, he can't pinpoint from _whom_ he heard it or when exactly. 

\- You always seem contempt to see me, like upset or irritated... like you're expecting someone else but it's me and that bothers you... I don't want that, I don't want to see it, I don't want to annoy you - 

\- You don't annoy me - he says, perhaps too quickly. 

She looks at him surprised. 

\- But you're not happy with me around, I can see that, and I really don't want to push. - The Doctor opens his mouth to say something but she keeps talking - I prefer to step down and not travel with you anymore so the things I learnt and the good experiences will remain. You're my best friend, even if you don't think so - 

\- I never say that - 

\- If I leave now, I'll always have what I learnt and I lived. But if I insist we'll end up fighting and then I will stop travelling but for the wrong reasons. Now I won't be able to remember something without feeling sad or bitter, or using something you taught me without thinking "oh, that bastard". So I prefer to leave with all the good things untouched. I don't need travelling in the TARDIS to be happy but I do need my best friend... to... be my friend. - 

\- _I am your friend_ \- 

\- Yes, but... - 

\- No, you listen to me - 

She goes quiet. She knows this commanding voice and she knows what it means. 

\- I've... I'm sorry if it looked like I was angry or... disgruntled... by your presence. That was never my intention. You never bother me, and I'm not expecting someone else - 

"Yes, you do"

"Shut up! Who?"

\- I would never look at you in contempt. I really enjoy your presence. You're a bouncy ball of... fluff - he says with a half smile, beckoning towards her. 

\- Heh... I'm not a cat - she comments with a sad but amused grin. 

\- You go around playing with things and painting and making these little robots and machines... it's fun! I love to have you around - 

A bittersweet smile crawls on her face. 

\- But I'm _tired_ \- he ads, his voice getting deeper. 

She looks at him, expecting a storm that is not going to come. 

\- I'm weary. I don't want to lose anyone... anymore - There's emotion and sadness in his eyes and his voice - I'm tired of losing people I care for - 

\- Well... - 

\- I know your life span is much shorter than mine but... it's not that. I can live with that, it's the natural course of life - 

She's staring at him, observing his gestures attentively. 

\- But I can't... - he frowns, his face shows pain - I'm tired of losing people, I'm tired of causing damage, I'm tired of thinking that they'll be safer if they're with me and then... I'm wrong. - he makes a long pause - I'm weary... very weary... I don't know if I can go on this way... - 

She hesitates and takes a step towards him, walking around the console, with her hands on it. 

\- Don't touch that, it's the telepathic interface - 

\- I know - 

The Doctor deeply inhale and after a moment slowly exhales. 

\- When I left it was fun, it was just for fun... but now. It's fun of course. It's often fun. But sometimes it's not. And I don't know if I still want to drag others into that. - she wants to say something but he resumes his speech; he's talking more to himself than to her - In the end... I lose them all. Some leave on their own. Some... are left behind. Some... - 

"I abandoned on purpose" 

\- Some forget me - 

"Some I forget" 

"No"

"Yes, you do"

\- Some get angry at me or I hurt them... I had no intention but I did, and they hated me for that - he reconsiders - Hate is a strong word. Not hate... but well. They don't want me anymore. Let's say that. - 

She nods. 

\- Some just find a better place, better people. And some die. Too many. And I don't feel like I have a right... to do that. - 

\- To do what? - 

\- Well... they died because they were with me. If it wasn't for that, they would have carried on with their normal lives - 

\- But that was her choice! _Their_ choice - 

Eloise's mistake starts him, making him suddenly turn and look at her. There was this moment, the split of a second, when he felt something like a memory that ran down his spine and chilled him, but now he can't tell if that was, what it was. He can't recall anything and he sees no reason why her words would startle him in first place. 

\- Or is it that bothers you to see it? Is that it? - she asks, tilting her head like inquisitive bird. 

The Doctor shakes his head but doesn't say anything. 

\- You're selfish enough to find a difference between someone dying here in the TARDIS where you see them and dying somewhere else where you don't see them - 

\- No, it's not that... it's not the same - 

\- Because if it's for untimely deaths, we can all have one. Cross the street in the wrong moment, have a bad fall in the stairs, maybe your neighbour's fight dog gets lose and you're unlucky enough to be in the way, maybe the engines of your plane fail or the bus you took gets crashed by a drunken driver. Who knows? Anything can happen! We all die, that's what living creatures do. - 

\- It's not the same - 

\- Why not? Because you don't see it. Because if you ever remember that person exists _and_ decide to come back you can always come back to a moment before she dies and pretend that is okay, she's not dead yet. Well, now, it doesn't work both ways, you know? Because for her... or him, death exists and it's permanent. You didn't see it, and you can turn a blind eye on it, but it happened. For them it happened, even if it didn't for you, or you can fool around and pretend it didn't. - 

Eloise looks away, frowning, immersed in mixed emotions. She didn't want to go there but now she did, she wants to hop off as quick as possible. 

\- Don't touch that - says The Doctor with a soft voice. 

\- I know what it is! Thanks for repeating the obvious! - 

The Doctor almost apologises but instead he slightly turns and walks some steps away, looking down. 

\- I'm sorry - she says. 

\- No... you are right - 

\- I think I should go - 

\- Where? - 

\- I don't know but I need a walk - 

\- I can drop you off... if you want - 

Eloise hesitates for a moment. 

\- Yes, sure - 

She then turns and starts going upstairs towards the interior of the TARDIS. 

\- Eloise... - 

\- What? - she says stopping and partially turning to look at him. 

\- You didn't tell me if you are well - 

\- I don't have any reasons to tell you - 

She then turns around and walks away. 


	4. A violet sky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor takes Eloise for a walk in another planet

Eloise opens the door and lurks outside but immediately closes it. The sunny heavy day outside is still as sticky and hot as it was when they left. 

\- Oof, too hot - 

\- It was hot when we left - 

\- I know. I didn't mean to say I wanted to come back to the same exact point in time and space - 

\- Well... - 

\- This is too hot, just looking at it depress me - 

The Doctor can't say he feels very lifted himself; all those little humans dragging their feet around under a hot sun while trying to remember why they needed to be there, in a crowded shopping street. He closes the door and walks to the console.

\- I just need to take a walk... - 

\- I can take you somewhere fresher... - 

\- Sure! - 

The Doctor stares at her for a moment and slaps the level. He knows where he's taking her, but he won't say a word. It's better if she discovers it for herself. 

The TARDIS goes quiet, they've landed. They look at each other, The Doctor does a gesture towards the door and Eloise walks there. He got a glimpse of her eyes, they're bright like full of stars, as they always are when she's curious or excited. That child-like, infinite curiosity of hers. 

Eloise opens the door to a different world. A beach surrounded by some cliffs with a dark blue-violet sky. The dark sea quietly licks the shore, a fresh breeze blows in her face. 

She walks a few steps outside the TARDIS, breathes in and breathes out. And again. The air feels slightly different, lighter. The Doctor walks up to her, looking at her with a warm smile. 

\- Why does it feel so light? - she asks.

\- The air? Oh, it's just a slightly different composition. Don't worry, it's perfectly breathable - 

Eloise trots in the beach for a while and then goes to the shore. 

\- Is this water? - she says pointing at the sea. 

\- Yes, it is - 

She gets a bit in the water and crouches to reach the sea, letting her fingers play with the lazy waves that come to kiss her ankles. Again, she deeply breathes in and out.

\- What is that perfume? - 

\- Oh, that? - The Doctor looks around feeling the breeze on his face - It's just the minerals... mixed with the water... uhm... - 

\- Yes? - she says turning to look at him - I was listening - 

\- Well... it's the components... minerals and other substances diluted in the water what gives that scent... just like the iodine and other minerals give the salty smell in seas of the Earth - 

\- Weird name, isn't it? Earth... when it's mostly covered by water - 

\- Yes. It is. - 

Eloise turns to look at the sea, her hands still in the water. Waves now are starting to push a bit stronger, to reach a bit further into the shore. He feels like saying something else. The breeze blows in his face ruffling his tufts. 

\- It feels like fragrance because... we associate it with flowers, but it's just a chemical mix. For creatures in this planet this is how the sea smells - 

\- All smells are chemical trails - she says sitting down like a small Buddha, letting the waves pass her and soak her. 

The Doctor beholds her with a warm smile; he knew she'd like this place. He knew this was exactly what she meant when she said "I need a walk". Not a walk in the city, not a walk in a square or a urban park, no. A walk in nature. A walk under tall trees in a forest, a walk through mountains or over cliffs, walk to the sea. Anytime she'd feel confused or annoyed she'd say "I need a walk" but what she meant was "I need to get away from others". And what better than a lost corner in a faraway quiet planet? 

Time seems not to pass, but the waves are raising and sky is turning brighter; the sun is about to rise. 

\- Why is it so violet? - 

\- The sky? Oh, it's the star. It leans on the blue side of the spectrum - 

\- Oh - she stands up with some difficulty, the waves are stronger now and her clothes are soaked and heavy - Is it bigger? - 

\- The star? Yes. - then realising that might be a scary piece of information, he adds - But don't worry, we're further away, there's no danger - 

Eloise turns and starts walking away from the sea, stumbling and stammering, struggling with the sea and the soft sand. Finally she gets to a drier patch of shore. She looks up to him and widely smiles. 

\- I know you wouldn't bring me to a planet where will end up fried in the morning - 

He coughs a dry laughter and tries a smile. 

\- Of course not - 

"Let's forget all the times I thought it was safe and it wasn't. Yes, better not to think of that"

Eloise walks up to him and stops to stare at him with a wide happy smile, her whole face shinning. 

\- Look! - he says pointing at the sky behind her - It's sunrise - 

She turns around to see. The Doctor pulls his sonic sunglasses from a pocket and puts them on. He taps them once, look at her for a moment, and taps again. 

Because it's a brighter star, the sky flares in intense colours as the sun rises over the horizon. 

\- Eloise... - 

\- Uh? - 

\- Take this glasses, I know you're sensitive to light - 

\- Well... - 

\- Don't worry, I have my pair - he says putting a pair of very normal Ray Ban on. 

\- Okay... - she says slightly dubious. However, she trusts him and if he says put on glasses so she does. 

\- Tap on them once and then hold the right temple for a moment - 

She turns to look at him, slightly confused. 

\- The little arm of your glasses - he gestures towards her - Come on, you're missing the show - 

\- Yes - 

She turns and does what he says but there are no perceptible changes to her eyes. And there shouldn't be; the purpose of his instructions wasn't adjusting the glasses to light but gathering information. 

The sun rises and stays for a while there, a few degrees over the horizon in front of them. It is a magnificent dazzling view. 

\- It's too dark, I'm missing the colours - she says taking the glasses off. 

The Doctor grins, he was almost expecting this from her. She blinks and squints but eventually she somewhat get used to the stronger light. 

\- You'd rather go blind than missing the colours - 

She doesn't answer but they both know he's right. 

The sun is slowly going up, illuminating the beach, pushing the darkness away. 

\- Come on, it's too strong now - she utters something - Let's go - 

Reluctantly she accepts and turns her back to the bright sun and the shinning sea. They walk to the TARDIS. Behind it the sky is still night full of stars. She stops to watch it for a moment. He waits but he doesn't want to linger for long. Neither his or her eyes are prepared to stand such a bright star once it's in full. 

\- Come on - he says but she barely pays attention. She gives him the glasses back but doesn't move, one hand on the TARDIS side, the other hanging idly, watching how the night sky fades and recedes. He waits a few seconds and then affectionately pats her hand. - Let's go - 

\- Yes - 

She turns and walks in the TARDIS. He gives the planet a last look and then closes the door. He is ready now. 

The Doctor walks to the console carelessly putting his sunglasses in a pocket. Eloise looks around with big fascinated eyes, as if it was the first time she'd see it. The Doctor smiles, her eyes are still adapting to the change of light. 

\- Travel with me - he says nonchalantly, placing the sonic sunglasses on something that looks like a random protuberance but it's actually a data port in the console. 

\- Sorry? - she says turning around to look at him, but the centre of the TARDIS is in the way, so she walks around to face him. 

He smiles and presses some buttons hoping not to attract her attention to what he's doing but what he's saying. 

\- Yes. Travel with me. Like in the good old days. - 

\- Really? - 

\- Yes - he's going to add something but he can't, Eloise is already hugging him. 

Taken by surprise, he stretches his arms in the air and moves his fingers trying to work out what should he do or say. 

\- I'm... really not a hugger now... - 

"I said this before... but to whom?" 

\- Seriously... I... - 

He looks down. No, she's not hiding her face, he can see it clearly. She's too short for that, and she has her head lean on his chest. 

\- Please, don't fall asleep - he says trying to sound cold but he's surrounding her with his arms. 

\- Already did - 

They chuckle. They remember well that time when she was having strange nightmares all the time and the only way she'd fall asleep was leaning her head on his chest. She said she found the rhythm of two hearts beating very soothing. 

\- So... - 

Eloise steps back releasing him from the hug. She looks at him with big bright eyes and a wide smile. 

\- Let's find out who's that children of yours - says The Doctor, smile growing on his face.

\- It's not mine, I didn't buy it - 

\- But you're the only one who remembers it - 

\- You too... - 

\- Because you talked about it - 

Eloise realises how the loop worked: she mentioned the situation to The Doctor and him being him felt compelled to check while she was showering or napping, he popped up in the bookstore, saw what happened and came back now knowing the whole story first hand. As she suspected in the electronics store, things happened in the inverse order for The Doctor. 

\- Shall we go? - he says with one hand on the lever.

\- Sure! - 

The Doctor eyes for the split of a second a smaller screen near the docked sunglasses and hits the lever. The TARDIS prepares to take off. 

...whoop whoop whoop whoop.... 


	5. Dreams, vapours of the mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lost memories return as nightmares in Eloise's sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter deals with memories and heart issues in the plain, biological sense. Therefore some scientific information is necessary to explain some parts.  
> A healthy efficient heart needs *less* beats per minute and a smaller size, while a heart that has been affected with some sort of illness or continuous stress may become less efficient. This means more a higher beats rate and a larger heart to do the same job (sending oxygen to the body and bringing back the used blood).

The Doctor it's doodling on a sketching book he borrowed from Eloise's room. As he doodles he ponders over the data read by his sonic sunglasses. The results were unsettling, nothing out of this world yet, but definitely telling _something_ is not right. Something important considering she didn't want to answer his questions. 

As he draws different types of anatomical hearts he puts information in order. Data provided showed her heart was 5-6% bigger than expected for her size and age, and her heart beats rate was faster than expected; still within normal range but higher than it should be. Could be the excitement? But that wouldn't explain the size. Maybe something she was born with? 

"Maybe"

Could it be a condition? Or maybe some medication taking a toll or maybe some sort of accident that ended in this? Too subtle for now, but... 

"Maybe"

Or maybe she really has something serious but didn't want it to interfere with their travelling. Or maybe she doesn't trust him, not in the way she used to. The question was... is it serious enough that he should get worried about? Or should he pretend that nothing happens and he didn't see or know anything?

"Maybe" 

The Doctor turns the page, and stares at the white paper with a blank look. 

"Or maybe not"

*******************************************

Eloise and The Doctor are in a bus late at night. They both sit in the upper deck; she's next to the window, he's beside her. Long and clumsy he always makes her laugh, he always have her full attention. Eloise is looking through the window, trying to pick the vague shapes in the dark through the lights reflected on the glass. The Doctor passes a hand on her back and she turns to look at him. When she turns her head she can feel her rather short hair brushing her neck and his hand idly lying between seat and her shoulders. 

He laughs and taps her on the shoulder, he's got an idea and wants to share it straight away. She turns to look at him. He fixes his bow tie and starts explaining; her eyes wanders off while listening. She's not looking at anything in particular but rather seeing his ideas in her mind, the bus is more of a backdrop for her imagination. The Doctor is fully focused on her, wrapped up in his own enthusiasm and inventiveness. 

Across the aisle, sitting on a seat on the aisle side despite the window being empty, there's a school boy. He's very straight and contained, looking ahead, hands resting on his knees, legs folded in 90° and a school rucksack between his legs. He looks like the very image of a model student. But it's night time, he's no older than 8 years, no parents or friends in sight, and schools closed hours ago. Not that this bus stops on any educational institute either. 

The Doctor doesn't see anything, he's completely taken by his own project and explanations, but Eloise is not listening anymore. That child sitting stiff falls in the middle of the uncanny valley; almost normal but not quite. The more Eloise looks, the more this child seems off. 

And then something horrible happens.

*****************************************

Eloise jumps in her bed almost falling off. The Doctor rushes to catch her but there's no need, she recovers quickly. 

The room is dark. It's night time in the TARDIS, this is Eloise's bedroom and she just had a nightmare. Something The Doctor was half expecting. 

She's now sitting on her bed, pushing her sheets away. Her eyes are wide open and there's sweat on her bow and temples. The Doctor sits down next to her and gently caress her hair. The first contact starts her a bit. 

\- It's fine, you had nightmares - he says with his deep voice, using the Scottish accent on purpose knowing she likes it and makes her feel at home.

She nods, and then turns to look at him, frowning, fixing her attention on him. 

\- Why are you dressed? - 

\- I was up - 

\- Why? Don't you sleep? - 

\- Of course I do - he says flashing a tense smile - I just had certain things to do - 

She's looking askance at him, he can see she doesn't believe it. Not fully. He doesn't blame her, he's in black trousers, shirt and black vest, partially opened on the front. He looks like he's expecting someone or he's about to leave. 

\- Now tell me, what was your nightmare? - he says trying to put up some authority without overdoing it. 

\- I don't know. It doesn't look nightmarish now I'm awake - 

\- Tell me - 

Eloise narrates her dream but much to her surprise she can't tell what happened in the end, what woke her up so abruptly. He has the vague idea that it was someone who showed up in front of her, but why would that scare her? And she can't tell for sure. Maybe something else happened. Whatever it was, it was horrible, but for some reason now it's gone from memory. 

The Doctor nods and muses, his eyebrows wriggling and stretching as she speaks and explains. A suspicion is starting to grow in his mind, but he needs more information to properly create a theory; everything is still wobbly and foggy. There's nothing clear and reliable, no hard cold data, only bits of memory, suspicions, and fleeting glimpses. 

\- I don't know where this dream came from... I don't know why... - 

\- It's a memory - 

\- Yes? - 

\- I remember having a conversation like this... very vaguely of course, it was too long ago - 

\- Of course - 

Was it his idea or there was a drop of cynicism in her voice?

\- Naturally I didn't see what you saw because it was at my back and you didn't say a word - 

\- No... I guess... I was distracted... - 

The Doctor lies a hand on her shoulder near her neck. His gesture is meant to calm her down, but through his fingertips he can feel her heart beating like a war drum. 

"Okay, yes, she's scared. Could it be that? Maybe. But isn't it a bit too much? Maybe. You're overthinking."

\- No, I'm not - 

\- Uh? - she says slightly turning her head towards him. 

\- Nevermind - 

"I am _not_ overthinking. She _has_ a problem." 

\- I don't want to fall asleep and see... dream that again... - she says, looking around, instinctively curling up. He places himself behind her, sitting tall and calm, trying to be the support she needs now. 

\- Let me help you - 

\- Yes - 

With an unusual meekness, she turns her head to look at his eyes, slightly leans on him and quietly waits. 

He gently touches her temples with his fingertips; a strong image flashes from her mind to his. A horrible face, somewhat similar to a Silent pops up and disappears. It's so sudden and unexpected that he quickly retires his hands and shakes his head, blinking a couple of times. 

"Could it be? She never saw a Silent. Maybe it's not one, but something else and she's misinterpreting. Or she's misremembering. Or I am misinterpreting. Or..." 

\- Doctor? - she asks hesitantly. 

He looks into her eyes again, she has a sheepish expression and he realises she's more scared than what she's showing or saying. Her eyes have a fevered spark, her pupils look like deep wells, her mouth is slightly open because she's unconsciously breathing through like an animal that just ran for its life, her breast goes up and down in short fast exhalations. She looks like she narrowly escaped a Dalek, but she hasn't moved a metre from her bed. 

\- Breath normally. It will be fine. - 

\- Yes... - she says and closes her eyes, trying to relax her muscles. 

\- I'll be gentle - 

Carefully, as if he'd be healing the broken wing of a sparrow, he touches her temples with his fingertips again. He pushes away the memories brought by the dream. He clears her mind from fear and anxiety. Softly but steadily encompass his own breath and calmed heart beats with hers, kindly soothing her mind and changing her brain waves to put her in a state where she'll easily slip into blissful sleep. 

Her head leans on his shoulder, her muscles relaxed and her chest moves in a slow easy rhythm. He carefully pushes her and she falls on her pillow sound asleep. 

The Doctor breathes out relieved. He stands up, walks to door and leaves the room closing behind. 

She can sleep but he can't, he has too many things to work out. 

_On his own_.


	6. To say or not to say

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor poses a question to Eloise and she has to take a decision. That decision might mean she will have to leave the TARDIS for good.

The Doctor leans on the console, tapping it with a finger. He frowns wondering what should he do. Eloise is taking a shower and he wants to resolve the situation that has been nagging him since she got in the TARDIS again.

"I could do The Arrogant Time Lord, showing her she can't fool me so it's better to tell me what's happening" he thinks as he tries to look arrogant and commanding. 

"Or I could do The Offended Comrade" he thinks as he moves somewhere else in the console trying to look offended, musing a sentence in the lines of «How dare you lying to me?» 

"Or I could be The Grumpy Adult who knows better" he thinks looking at himself wondering if he'd need a change of clothes for that. He could frown and pull his age to tell her how unwelcome is not to tell the truth.

"Or I could be just The Hurt Friend?" he moves around the console, thinking a better position. 

\- After all, I'm certainly hurt she doesn't trust me... - he muses. 

"But is it? Is it trust really?" 

Before he can answer himself, Eloise comes from inside the TARDIS. Her hair is still wet, she has a short green dress with many big pockets and stuff in her hands. She stops in the stairs looking amused at him; seeing him running around the console, pulling faces and talking out loud makes him look insane. More than usual. 

\- What are you doing? - she says smiling and starts going downstairs. 

Caught off guard by surprise, he reacts instinctively. 

\- You! - he says pointing at her with a long bony finger. 

\- Me... - she says smiling and looks down to sort what she has in hands. 

\- You have something to tell me - 

\- No, I don't - she says putting the objects on the console so she can see them at a glance and pick them one by one. 

He hesitates for a second and then he rearranges his jacket and puts his hands firmly in his pockets, stiffing himself to stand tell and imposing. His eyebrows and a stern face should complete the picture. Unfortunately, Eloise is not looking; she's not even mildly interested. The objects spread over the console are the focus of her attention. A medium sized iPhone, an old sonic screwdriver that has been tweaked for the owner's convenience, a black smartwatch that is turned off or out of battery, a Swiss Army knife, a teaspoon, two pens, a pencil, an eraser, two paper balls of unknown origin, some big heavy coins (possibly Swiss Francs), two sets of keys (one bigger than the other), breadcrumbs, colourful unidentifiable wrapping, and several balls of lint, dust and fluff from uncertain source.

\- Your heartbeat rate is too high - 

\- Uhu... - she says picking up certain objects and placing them in what she regards is the most suitable pocket for each item. 

\- And your heart is bigger than expected - 

\- Ye... - 

Eloise stares at the objects left on the console trying to decide what to do with them. 

\- Are you going to tell me what's going on or not? - 

\- No. - and immediately adds - Sorry, what? - 

\- Get out - he says, his eyes fixed on her, his voice dropping an octave. 

\- What? Why? - says Eloise honestly surprised, she wasn't listening until now. 

\- Get _out_ \- 

\- Uh... Okay, well, okay... - she says abandoning the objects on the console and turning to go upstairs. If she's to leave, she needs to pack. 

\- _Now_ \- 

She stops confused and he goes to stand in front of the stairs to cut her way in. 

\- I want you to get out - he says and takes a few steps in the ladder as to stand above her. 

\- I need my laptop - 

"Come on, you know how to solve it" 

\- I'll drop it later - 

\- What? No. I'm as good as losing it - 

\- I'll drop it - 

"It's a bluff, don't you see?" 

\- I want you out - 

\- Well... then... - she says absently sticking her hands in her pockets, slowly fumbling in them.

\- If you can't trust me to tell the truth, I don't want you here - 

\- Okay - she says and quickly eyes him and the stairs calculating her chances to pass through to get her laptop. 

"You know I wouldn't use force on you, come on, call me out" 

She scraps the idea and turns around, meekly giving up. 

\- I hope it's not summer outside - she muses. 

\- We hadn't landed yet - he says reaching the console in three long strides. 

\- We're not flying - 

\- This doesn't fly - he says randomly turning some knobs. 

\- I know - 

Her voice sounds weary, her face shows someone who's done with the situation and want it over already.

"Come on, you know me, call my bluff..." 

\- So... Are you going to tell me or not? - he says and lowers the lever without even looking at the console. His eyes are fixed on her. 

"Come on, this is not the Eloise I know. Where are you? Call me out! You know this is not real, I wouldn't just abandon you. You know that, don't you?" 

But she doesn't say a word. She's looking down, rather concerned about not tripping over in her way out. 

\- So you don't trust me - 

\- Uh? Yes, I do - 

The TARDIS lands and Eloise walks to the door, opens it and leaves without a word; all in one movement, like a cat. 

The door lazily returns to its frame. The Doctor stares at it with blank expression, he can't believe she left without a word. He purposefully acted in an offended obnoxiously way. Something called the Offended Wiennerwurst or the Angry Stick-Insect. The Eloise he knew would ask for explanations, she would discuss, try to reason and talk her way out. And in doing so he'd be able to make her tell the truth. 

«You can talk anything with her» 

But not this time. Now she simply walked away into... 

The Doctor wakes up of his trance-like state. He realises he doesn't know where they are. He assumes it's Earth because she didn't show any surprise, but... _where?_

He goes to check place where they landed and sees «Vancouver, 3AM», below the date shows one year after they departed. 

\- What have I done? She's never been in Canada! - 

'The Doctor rushes out of the TARDIS only to see a very still residential area, pitch dark except for a street lamp here or there. She's nowhere to be seen, not a sound that indicates her presence. Night is fresh and a mild breeze blows ruffling The Doctor's fringe. 

"She's out there, with a short summer dress. lost and barefoot..." 

\- I'm... I'm an idiot - 


	7. Caillte

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eloise is lost in an unknown city barefoot and with just a short summer dress on. Meanwhile, The Doctor tries to find her and work out what's going on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> «Caillte» it's a word in Scots Gaelic that means "Lost".

Eloise walks for some time without a second thought. The area seemed vaguely familiar, though she couldn't tell exactly which city she was in. 

The night was nice but her hair was still wet and the breeze was starting to make her feel chilly. Being barefoot doesn't bother her because the street is flat and clean, but the more she walks the more she wonders where is she going to end up. It's clearly late at night and it's clearly not home. 

Eloise stops and turns around looking back the way she came. For a second or two, she considers walking back but she realises it's pointless. By now, The Doctor and his TARDIS surely departed already. She then turns around and resumes her rambling.

************************** 

The Doctor enters the TARDIS feeling increasingly stressed, she's out there barefoot and no idea where or what. Then he realises that he can call her by phone, she surely has it with her. He scrambles to the library, passing the console to unearth his old phone. It's been sometime he doesn't use it, and he forgot where did he put it. 

After some uncivil search, he finds it, turns it on and much to his relief it boots and shows good battery. Then he looks her up in his lists "I need to clear up, too many names I have no idea who are they." he thinks as he scrolls down. Eventually, he finds Eloise's number and tap on call.

"I don't even remember what are they" he muses while the phone connects.

Now the phone is calling... only to be echoed by the happy tune of her phone sitting somewhere in the TARDIS. The Doctor's face changes completely. He retires the phone from his ear and starts looking around, tracing the ringing phone. He slowly walks down the stairs and to the console. Between a lever and some knobs, there are the forgotten items Eloise meant to put in her pockets: an old screwdriver, coins of different sizes and origins, random papers and in the middle, pointlessly ringing, her smartphone. Everything was sprinkled with dust, dirt, balled threads and fluff. 

The Doctor ends the call, and Eloise's phone goes silent, promptly showing the lockscreen and a missed call notification. The Doctor stares at the phone in sadness and horror; the device turns its screen off and remain silent. 

\- What have I done... - 

********************************

Eloise has been walking for quite a while but she's still as lost as before. She can't find a place where to stay, not even a park. From the street names she knows she's nowhere near home. Even worse, it doesn't look like she's in any city she's been before. 

Then she sees someone sitting, almost curling, on a bench in a patch of grass. In the darkness she can't tell if it's a square, a small park, a garden or just a random patch in a residential area. 

She stops for a moment. Should she keep walking and pretend this person doesn't exist? Should she approach that person? More importantly, shouldn't she find a place where to sit and rest for a moment?

Without much thinking, she starts walking toward the person with the vague idea of asking him or her what city or even country is she in. 

As she walks towards the patch of grass the person moves and stands up. She briefly stops, momentarily surprised. Then the person starts walking towards the street so she decides to wait. 

Now the person it's under the yellow patched light of street lamps, Eloise can see it's a child of roughly 10-11 years old. A chill feeling runs down her back. There's something uncanny about this child. 

The child stops right under a spot of light next to a tree. Eloise can see it well. Looks like a child, it seems to be a child, and yet... 

The child turns to her and spends long seconds staring at her. And then, he smiles. A wide friendly smile, inviting and happy. 

But there's still something off. Eloise walks a few steps towards him. She knows it could be dangerous, she hadn't travel with The Doctor without learning how cold and vast the universe can be. But she's curious, and being the woman she is curiosity trumps it all. 

So she walks towards the child, getting closer. She wants to see, she wants to know. Like so many times in the TARDIS, like so many times before. _She needs to know_. 

***********************************

After a long moment of shock, The Doctor decides to take his sonic screwdriver, go out and walk the surroundings near the TARDIS in case he can pick up something. As he expected, there's nothing abnormal. He then goes inside, closes the door and tells the TARDIS to take off. He stands in front of the telepathic controls, calms his mind, closes his eyes, and focus on Eloise, where she is and how to find her. Then he carefully places his hands in the control and sends his thoughts forward. After a moment, the TARDIS sets new course, flies away and lands somewhere else. 

The Doctor opens his eyes and looks around. 

\- Okay, we've landed. Where are we? - 

The Doctor goes to the screen. Time is roughly the same but the place is slightly different; still Vancouver but another point in the city. 

\- A park? - he says frowning - Why a park? - 

But the moment of bafflement passes. He immediately recovers to his usual self. He pulls his clothes, takes his sonic screwdriver and goes out. Eloise is somewhere out there and needs help. 

_Fast._


	8. Encounters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eloise and The Doctor have a strange and scary encounter.

The child walks and Eloise after him; not right behind him but keeping a few metres distance for safety, but still after him. She doesn't lose sight of the child, she wants to know what is it or who is it and what he or it wants.

They keep walking up to a park. It's a nice place with benches, strategically placed trees and parterres. On one side there's a long bushy fence or group of shrubs that catches Eloise's attention. 

The child walks towards the shrubs, slowing down and getting closer as if he wanted to see them better or turn the corner behind it. Eloise slows down too, feeling uneasy for some reason. The child stops and turns around to see if she's still following him. When he sees her, he smiles widely and then turns to the bush again. Eloise has this very creeping sensation, like there's something wrong but she can't put a finger on it. 

_The uncanny valley._

It looks normal but it isn't, something is off and the brain cries in horror "This is NOT right!" failing at the same time to isolate the issue. 

Eloise stops, cautiously looking around, keeping a safe distance from the bushes and a safer distance from the kid. She turns to the child but he's still there, waiting. He hasn't moved or said anything, not a sound comes. 

She turns around again and then turns to look at the bushes. They look perfectly normal though she's unsure if they're a fence, a group of bushes or some sort of shrubbery. They look normal but there's something off. She stands facing it, trying to work it out when a breeze blows gently moving her locks. 

_The leafs don't move._

\- Eloise! Eloise! Get out! - The Doctor shouts running up to her, but she's already turning. 

They both clash and as he holds her by the shoulders, he says: 

\- We need to get out - 

A long tongue or tentacle zaps from the bush, tries to catch them both but fails and Eloise falls off only trapping The Doctor. As the tentacle retrieves its future dinner it starts to slowly wrap The Doctor's body with the intention to crush it, probably to ease later digestion. 

Eloise runs to the tentacle or tongue, takes her Swiss Army out of a pocket, and pulls the longest knife out. She starts cutting in the hope of stopping the creature but apparently it's quite immune to pain because it keeps going, slowly but relentlessly. 

She keeps cutting, wider and deeper, while The Doctor makes an effort not to make it evident he's getting short of breath as the creature has started to squeeze him. 

She keeps cutting and from the now deep wounds a stinking thick semi-transparent fluid starts to flow. She finds it hard to breath, but it doesn't stop her, all she has in her mind is freeing her friend. 

The substance is now flowing abundantly from the deep wounds, staining her arms, dress and face, splashing all over the ground. She doesn't know if the substance is toxic or merely poignant, and she doesn't care. 

Eventually, she cuts so much that the tongue relieves pressure on The Doctor manages to escape. He grabs her by the arm and drags her with him, away from the creature. She runs with him, still holding the knife, feeling dazed and weak, hardly seeing what's under her feet. 

The Doctor keeps pulling from her, forcing her to run as far as they can from that creature, making her stumble upon her own feet. 

Then they start to slow down, The Doctor is saying something to her, she can hear his voice but it sounds so faded and distant... like a ship on a misty horizon. 

And then someone takes her hand and call her, speaking into her ear, loud and clear. 

\- Please, drop the knife - 

But Eloise refuses to give it, she instead clutches to it holding it closer to her body. She doesn't see very well and her brain is spinning.

\- Eloise, you need to drop the knife - 

Eloise replies something that in her mind sounds like a strong «No». 

Someone comes along and taking the hand holding the knife, softly but firmly says: 

\- Madame, please, you need to drop the knife - 

She looks up and sees a vague shape that she recognises as Mounted Police. Only now she realises where she is, but she still doesn't want to lose her precious Swiss Army knife. All in all, why should she give it? She hurt nobody.

Well, the creature's tongue or tentacle, whatever it was. But it was self-defense. 

\- Madame, I promise, I'll give it back. But we need to make some tests - 

Finally, Eloise gives in and opens her hand. She tries to take a few steps but in the moment The Doctor lets her go alone, she staggers and fall. 

And then everything fades to black.


	9. What I can see

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Eloise are taken to safety and learn a few things about the creature.

First she hears their voices. Then she feels them around, moving, doing something. She's still feeling dazed, but she wants to know what's going on, so she opens her eyes. A strong, almost blinding yellow-white light fills the space. She slowly blinks a few times and tries to focus. Nothing. She then turns her head towards the voices, one it's definitely The Doctor, the others are masculine too but unknown. She blinks and frowns and moves her head trying to focus her eyes but to no avail. All she gets is fuzzy blotches of colour and this omnipresent white-yellow light. 

\- You're awake... - says The Doctor. 

\- Yes... - 

Out of frustration, Eloise rubs her face with her hands without expecting any real change. 

\- How are you feeling? - 

\- Uhm... okay, I think... - she makes a pause - I feel dizzy... and everything looks very bright - 

The constable who brought her to the room, some tall round-faced fellow called Montgomery is standing near the door, intently looking at her. 

\- It's the substance - says Montgomery. 

\- From that creature? - she asks.

\- Yes - 

\- So it's not just stinky... - 

The officer is going to say something but The Doctor speaks first.

\- It's a neurotoxine. - 

\- Ah. - she slowly moves her head - Not good... - 

\- It affects your nerves - says the constable causing Eloise to shrug at the unnecessary bit of information - From what we know symptoms go from shaking and staggering, to nausea, confusion and blindness - 

Eloise swiftly lifts her head and turns it to him. 

\- Permanent or temporary? - 

\- I'm sure it will be temporary - The Doctor rushes to answer - Probably. Very likely. - 

\- We don't know. It depends on exposition... how much, how long... and other reasons we don't know - 

\- **Yet** \- 

\- Yet - 

\- Is there a threshold? - 

Montgomery shrugs pulling a face that goes missing to Eloise. 

\- We suppose... We don't really know - 

\- I see - 

Another constable comes in with something in his hand. He turns to Eloise and walks up to her. 

\- Madame, your Swiss Army - he says offering the knife to her but she doesn't move, she's just there seemingly staring at the policeman. 

\- She can't see you, she's been - 

\- _Temporarily_ blinded - says The Doctor before Montgomery says anything wrong. The Doctor doesn't want her to assume this as a permanent state, not just yet.

\- Oh. - the policeman says getting closer - I'm sorry to hear that, madame - 

\- It's alright, I'll get used - 

"Hope not for long..." thinks The Doctor.

\- Please, can you give me your hand? - 

\- Sure - 

The Doctor frowns a bit but says nothing. Eloise raises an open hand as if she was begging. The policeman gently takes her hand and lies the knife on it. She immediately realises what it is and widely smiles, radiating happiness. 

\- Your knife, madame. We cleaned and disinfected it completely. It's safe to use it now. - 

\- Oh thank you! - 

Eloise takes the knife and rubs it against her cheek as if it was a teddy bear or a puppy. Then she tries to put it back in her pockets only to discover she's not wearing the dress she had before. 

\- We had to take the dress, madame, I'm sorry for that - 

\- It's okay - 

\- It was soaked in that substance - 

\- Yes... - she says without listening - What do I have now? - 

\- One of our uniforms, madame - 

The Doctor frowns even more thinking this man is too solicitous to her, but keeps his thought to himself. 

\- Oh. Okay - 

She remains in silence looking to nowhere for a moment. She's creating a mental image of the uniform, trying to guess where the pockets are. She then pats herself on the chest, finds a pocket and slips the knife inside. 

\- For someone who's never been blind, she's coping well - says the man without hiding a note of admiration. 

The policeman reluctantly leaves and after a while, Montgomery leaves as well. Now it's only The Doctor and Eloise in the room. 

She's sitting there, looking down but seeing nothing. The Doctor wants to say something but can't think of any phrase that won't sound depressing, and he doesn't want to lie either. 

Suddenly, Eloise lifts her head, smiles and says:

\- So! What's the plan, Doctor? - 


	10. One out of six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following separate ways, The Doctor and Eloise make plans to defeat the strange creature hiding in the park

After discussing several options, Eloise asked out of the blue why nobody burnt this creature to the ground. 

\- How? Getting close it's dangerous, and this creature only showed up 24hrs ago - 

\- Are you sure? - asks The Doctor in disbelief. 

\- And now it's not there anymore - 

\- I don't think so - 

\- Well, it's not! - says the officer rather offended. 

\- Let me check... - 

\- Doctor... - 

\- You stay here - 

Eloise doesn't reply but she doesn't like it, she knows he'll get close to the creature and it may try to eat The Doctor. And she can't help because she's almost blind and nobody lets her do anything or go anywhere. 

Resigned to her new and boring situation, she curls up on the sofa she woke up to and falls asleep. 

****************

Eloise wakes up and walks around the room. Then sits on a chair next to a table, probably the same chair The Doctor used while discussing options about the creature. She sits there, quietly, seeing in her and yet not seeing at all. 

A man in uniform enters the room. He already spent some time dealing with The Doctor, but now he comes back to the room to see how is she doing. Meanwhile, The Doctor checks stuff in his TARDIS or maybe outside with his screwdriver, only he knows. 

The man moves carefully trying not to scare her, but she already heard him. Eloise looks up trying to identify who and why in that white-yellowish fog her vision has become. 

\- It's me, Inspector Yee - 

\- Yee? - 

\- Yes - 

\- It's that your name? - 

\- Yes. My surname. - 

\- Oh... - 

Eloise chuckles amused. Inspector Yee takes a chair in front of her and sits down. He's smiling and relaxed; though she doesn't see him and he knows it, he's glad to see her back up in a seemingly good mood. 

\- I see you're awake - 

\- Yes - she makes a pause, thinking how to say what's in her mind - I was thinking about this creature... - 

\- Uhm... yes? - says Yee trying to sound not too encouraging. He already heard all the weird ideas and explanations The Doctor threw at him. And he honestly couldn't understand any of them. He's a bit afraid that she'll be the same, since they are both relatives to each other. 

\- Have you tried burning it to the ground? - 

\- In the middle of a park? Do you want me to start a fire? - 

\- Well, no, not with flamethrowers, but... - 

\- No! - 

\- How about heating it up? Cooking it, so to speak? - 

\- How would I do that? - 

\- Well, I don't know... maybe with loads of boiling water or caging it and... - 

\- No, no... NO! I can't. And it might not be there by now - 

\- Really? - 

\- Well, it seems gone... - 

\- Uh... - Eloise makes a pause, tilting her head pensively - What does The Doctor says? - 

\- I don't know, I haven't seen him for hours - 

\- Ah. - 

She goes silent for a moment and he lets her do. Hopefully, she'll now change the topic to something else. The way The Doctor spoke of her was commanding and caring, from which the Inspector understood he was some sort of paternal figure to her. Someone older and wiser she'd look up to. Yee wasn't too sure about the wise bit though, The Doctor spoke of things that sounded like sci-fi. And clearly none of them had any idea how Vancouver or its police force works. 

\- Well, then... how about freezing it? - 

\- Sorry... freezing what? - 

\- The creature - 

\- Are you mad?? How do you mean to freeze it? And who do you think we are? - 

\- Well, if you cage it, you could pour frozen nitrogen in it and that would freeze. - Yee keeps talking and protesting, increasingly annoyed - Better still, you could swiftly change temperatures from boiling to freezing and that's granted to kill it. No creature survives sudden changes of temperatures - She then smiles, proud of herself. 

\- It's massive! - 

\- But it's a parasite of some sort, same rules apply - 

\- It's not milk! - 

\- I know, but still a parasite - 

\- Are you out of your mind? - 

\- No... I'm inside a room - she says showing all her teeth - I think - 

\- Mon Dieu... what I have to put up with... - He ducks his head musing words she doesn't get to understand. 

\- Are you a French Canadian? - 

\- No, my grandmother is. She speaks French - 

Eloise pats him on an arm with a happy smile. 

\- Don't worry, mon garçon, we'll get you sorted - 

Yee's grumblings grow louder. 

\- You could use robots, so you don't risk lives - 

\- This is insane... - 

\- I'm sure if we can synchronise them... we could use semi-autonomous robots... - 

\- Robots? This is not Star Trek - 

\- I could do with a computer... - 

\- Where are we going to get robots from! - 

\- I'm sure NASA or MIT have some robots lying around - she says looking around, trying to tell apart something that looks like a computer in the haze is her sight now. 

\- Oh, yeah, because I can call anytime to NASA and ask them "hey buddy, I have a giant worm in my backyard, mind to lend me some robots?" - 

\- No, but The Doctor can - she says turning to look straight to his face even when she can't tell who's sitting in front of her. Everything is clouds of white and yellow, and Yee knows it, he knows she can't see. But for one moment, they stare each other into the eye and he realises this woman can be as powerful an ally as dangerous as enemy. Whatever relationship that doctor and this woman have, she is something on her own. 

\- What do you want? - 

\- A computer. If I start working now, I could save a lot of time and work by the time The Doctor comes back - 

\- But you're blind... - 

Eloise smiles like the Cheshire Cat, but in a more charming, warm way. 

\- That's just one out of six senses - 

\- Well... - 

\- I don't need to read what I'm typing. I'm sure you have someone who can deal with a Mac or a Linux system... - 

\- Yes... I do... - 

\- Well, then, ask him to help me with the interface. I'll programme and he can check for errors and mistakes after. If I know the keyboard, I don't need to read or see what I'm writing - 

Her smile grew and he realises it's almost impossible to say no. 

\- Okay, yes, I... I'll ask Leblanc or Montgomery to bring you a laptop - 

\- Yes, please, thank you. Linux or Mac s'il vous plaît - 

Yee stands up thinking she surely was the type of kid who'd get everything they wanted when they were little. 

\- I'll be back in a moment - 

She nods. He walks away thinking that in the worst case scenario, he managed to keep her silent and out of the way. 

*********************************

The Doctor comes back. He has his screwdriver in a hand and some theories populating his mind. As he enters the room he muses ideas to himself. Much to his surprise, the room is empty. Eloise is nowhere to be seen and there are no officials to talk to. After a moment, he turns around to leave the room and find someone to speak to. Yee enters and much to his surprise, there is a person in the room. They stare at each other for a second. 

\- You came back... - 

\- Ah, yes, I have the results of my tests - 

\- And? - 

\- It's still there - The Doctor announces like announcing someone's death. 

\- Oh. - Yee looks down in silence. After a moment, he utters - I was hoping it would be gone... - 

\- So it's someone else's problem? - 

\- No... I was really hoping I wouldn't have to deal with this... I don't even know where to start... - he says with a monotone disappointed voice while The Doctor looks around frowning. 

\- Where's Eloise? - 

\- Uh? - 

\- Eloise is not here - 

\- Oh no, she's working on a laptop with the help of a constable... She thinks she can help somehow - Yee scratches his head for a moment - I let her do, it can't be worse than what we have now - 

\- Where is she now? - asks The Doctor who wasn't really listening to what the Inspector was saying. 

-Uhm, in the other room. If you go out, turn left and the third door to your right - 

The Inspector is going to say something else but The Doctor leaves, still frowning, concerned about his now blind friend. 

He doesn't need to search much, the door to the room is half open. The Doctor sneaks in quietly. She's sitting at a desk with a big laptop and a cup of tea. There's a teapot with a tea cosy nearby, and a dish of biscuits. A constable is sitting on another chair with a laptop. She's types in short fast rushes; The Doctor knows that, he saw it before. She's programming and those pauses are Eloise stopping to think what to do next. «I type faster than I think, unfortunately» she said to him a couple of times. Then he remembers: she's blind, she can't see what she's typing, but of course she doesn't need it, she's typing from memory. The Doctor assumes the man with the other laptop is checking for errors. Or maybe he does when she finishes writing. Either way, The Doctor admires her strength, that powerful will to overcome hard situations when she has a goal in mind. 

A warm smile creeps up on The Doctor's face. "That's the Eloise I know. That's MY Eloise." 

He turns and leaves the room, he has some ideas to discuss with Inspector Yee. 


	11. A screwdriver, a watch and a knife

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Using the devices and knowledge they have, The Doctor and Eloise put in motion an outlandish plan to stop the creature from luring more people into its stomach.

The Doctor quietly enters the room where Eloise and constable Montgomery sit, each with a computer. He stands for a moment, beholding her with a warm loving smile. He then walks to where she's sitting. She's still, seemingly looking down, probably thinking or remembering something, her hands by the laptop sides.

\- Hello... - 

\- Oh, hi - she says turning her head to him. 

\- This guy... Yee, told me your plans... - 

\- Uh - she slowly blinks, she's clearly tired - And what do you think? - 

\- Well... - he says joining his hands letting his fingers intertwine with each other - It's outlandish, and mad, and nearly impossible to implement - 

\- Mmhhh... - 

\- I LOVE IT! - 

Because she can see his face, she hesitates confused, not sure if he's honest or sarcastic. The Doctor is smiling with an insane look on his face, waiting for her response. 

\- Really? - she hesitantly asks. 

\- YES!!! - 

\- Oh... - 

\- It's fantastic! - 

\- Oh... - she says, turning again to the laptop with a little smile of relief on her face. 

\- Of course, there are a few details to work out, but that never stopped - 

\- No... - 

Eloise is trying to get remember the keyboard but she can't and she doesn't want to ask for help, afraid of The Doctor telling her to sit aside and wait. She's now so close to finish the programme she started. Her manners don't go unnoticed to The Doctor, who turns to look attentively to the laptop. 

\- What are you doing? - 

\- Programming - 

\- On what? - 

\- Uhm... - Eloise taps the area on the left of her laptop, sensing her way to find the watch - This - she says closing her hand on the object - It's a smartwatch. It's got Bluetooth. It won't work alone, I need something to repeat and improve signal, but... - 

\- Why are you using a dead technology? - asks The Doctor examining the watch. 

\- Well, I have nothing else - 

\- Sorry, what do you mean by dead technology - says the police officer sitting on the other chair, but both Doctor and Eloise completely ignore him. 

\- Well, I might have a machine to translate older technologies like this... somewhere in the TARDIS - 

\- Well, sorry, I can't keep up - 

\- Bluetooth is not dead - 

\- Well, nevermind, we'll have to make do. It's Earth, after all. - the officer grumbles but both ignore him - Well, I'm bringing my outdate tech translator - 

\- Bring something to strengthen the signal - 

\- Oh, I have a trick up my sleeve for that - he says and winks even when she can't see him.

Eloise smiles making The Doctor wonder if she's smiling at him but failing to locate his face, or if she's smiling for her own reasons. The thought that this might be a permanent situation for her from now on, turns his expression bittersweet. He warmly smiles at her and caresses her hair. Then he turns and leaves. After a few seconds, Eloise turns back to the computer and the officer helps her to find the keyboard again. She breathes out and starts typing. The sooner she has it ready, the sooner they can move on to testing and assembling the solution. 


	12. Forced shutdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and Eloise put their plan to motion, but not everything works smoothly.

The plan was that robots would put thick metal planks around the creature and keep them there as the planks were suddenly heat up to almost pitch white and then drop the temperature by pouring frozen nitrogen. In theory, this would cause a Pasteurisation type of effect on the creature killing it. The practice of it was a bit more nuanced. They needed quite some time to find someone who'd be able to steer the robots, and even more time to working robots since nobody wants to risk their beloved experiment to kill a creature they're never heard of before and as far as they're aware it doesn't exist. 

However, they manage to get everything together in time. A gamer lead the robots much to The Doctor's amusement and the inspector's dismay. During the operation, both Doctor and Eloise sat on a bench nearby, to watch the events though Eloise could only listen. But The Doctor thought it would be cruel to refuse her that when she programmed the app and network for the robots to work on. All in all, what harm in letting her sit there? If anything happens he'll jump into action before she can even realise what's wrong. She won't know what happened until is over. 

_If something happens._

They're sitting still on their bench as the robots advance carrying the pieces that will make up for the wall enclosing the creature. Every Time Lord muscle and sense are tense, ready to spring at the littlest sign of trouble. Eloise sits with her head slightly tilted towards him; he doesn't realise it but she's sensing _his_ tension and will spring too if he moves. 

And then... it happens. 

One of the robots stumble and fall over, with the planket stuck to its arms. 

Seeing this, The Doctor immediately springs and rushes towards the restricted area. Eloise jumps and runs after him. When he sees, he stops and turns around.

\- What are you doing? - 

\- Fixing the dog - 

\- How do you know what's wrong? - 

\- I hear the noise and you sprung, I know what happened - 

\- Right, let me fix it - he says, his Scottish accent getting thicker. He knows she has a soft spot for Scotland, and he uses it. 

\- No! It's too risky - 

\- It's worse for you! You don't see! - 

\- I'm not having you dead - she says and starts running into the restricted area without waiting for his response. 

The Doctor grunts and runs after her, catches her and whispering "I'm sorry" into her ear he forces her to sleep, holding her by the temples. He knows she'll have a horrible headache when she wakes up but right now his priority is keeping her safe. He gently lie her down, and then rushes to fix the robot. 

While he works on the "dog", a police officer takes her back to the safety area. There, him with other officers take her back to the police station. But The Doctor knows there's no need to worry, she's sound asleep and for as long she remains that way she'll be fine. 


End file.
